Austrian GP Drama: Unseen Race Dynamics and Team Reactions

The Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg delivered unexpected twists and turns. Dominance, mishaps, and strategical gambles characterized a race that left some teams celebrating and others reeling from missed opportunities.

Red Bull's Troublesome Day

Red Bull, usually the untouchable force on track, faced an unusual day filled with setbacks. Max Verstappen's charge was derailed by a prolonged pit stop that brought Lando Norris uncomfortably close. A subsequent collision with Norris resulted in damage and a drop to P5.

Max Verstappen, 5th: “We were battling today and Lando tried to move around the outside, and then we touched with the rear tyres. It was very hot so immediately we had a puncture. From my side, it seemed like a weird move but we obviously need to review this and, of course, we will talk about it. The shape of the corner also provides these kinds of issues sometimes, and it is never nice to come together. This, however, isn’t currently my main focus as we need to take a look at the overall performance today and the difficulties we had with the car. It was very hard to manage the tyres; the first stint was not too bad, and I had a fairly comfortable lead. The second stint was difficult; I think we stayed out a bit too long and then there was the issue with the pit stop. The overall Team performance wasn’t what we expected it to be, and the strategy didn't work well in this case. It was a shame because of the lead we had. There are definitely a few things we need to improve looking to next week, and hopefully, we can work on the performance, tyres, and balance.”

Sergio Perez, 7th: “It is very disappointing to be in this position today. The race started really well, and we had a solid start, but then I picked up some damage on Lap 1, and the car struggled and was sliding, making it very difficult to fight towards the front. With the damage, I was off balance and made a mistake going into the pitlane, resulting in a five-second time penalty, which hindered us towards the end of the race. There are a few things that we need to look back at and carefully analyze. Overall, we lacked performance; it was a very difficult race and one that I struggled a lot in. Next weekend, I hope we can have a solid, clean showing, and hopefully, we will be able to sort all the problems from this weekend to move forward as there are still a lot of races left. On to Silverstone.”

Ferrari's Rollercoaster

Ferrari had a day of mixed fortunes. Carlos Sainz secured a solid podium while Charles Leclerc couldn't catch a break after an early collision.

Carlos Sainz, 3rd: “This P3 is a positive result and it's a good reward for us after what was a difficult start to the weekend. Yesterday, we worked hard to try to improve the car after the Sprint and had a better qualifying. Today it was an eventful race, and our pace wasn't bad, fighting with the Mercedes for a place on the podium.”

Charles Leclerc, 11th: “Unfortunately, this was a weekend to forget as nothing went as it should. The collision on the opening lap obviously completely ruined my race. We were hoping for a Safety Car, but it didn’t come, and I lost time behind Lando (Norris) when I had fresh tyres and could have pushed more. The end result was that we couldn’t even score a point. Apart from Carlos’ podium, which brings us a good points haul in the Constructors’, the only other positive aspect of the weekend is that we were able to try various set-up configurations, producing plenty of data for the team, which will be very important for the upcoming races. Tomorrow, we will start working hard with the aim of putting this race behind us, right from next weekend at Silverstone.”

McLaren's Highs and Lows

McLaren had a bittersweet race with Oscar Piastri securing P2 but Lando Norris facing the wrath of racing incidents.

Oscar Piastri, 2nd: “I know that's only my fourth podium in F1 but being so close to a win hurts a little bit! It’s really good points, of course, and we were very strong in the second half of the race, so overall I’m happy with a podium in that regard – but when it’s so close at the end, you can’t help but feel disappointed.”

Lando Norris, DNF: “Tough race! The first half was challenging because I didn’t really have the pace, but it improved in the final stint and felt very strong. I made a number of attempts to go for the win, trying to avoid collisions, frustratingly I got crashed into by Max, which ended my day early. There was nothing more I could do.”

Victory for Mercedes

George Russell grabbed a surprise win, an unexpected turn given Mercedes' pace earlier in the weekend.

George Russell, 1st: “Incredible! That’s the only way I can describe it. We had a tough fight in the early stages to make sure we held on to P3. That would prove crucial at the end. I could see that Max (Verstappen) and Lando (Norris) were having a big battle. We were only just over 10 seconds behind the pair of them, which is really encouraging pace-wise. I knew there was a possibility that they could come together, even if it was only a slim chance. You have to be there at the end to pick up the pieces and that’s exactly where we were. I am so proud to be back on the top step of the podium.”

Next up, Silverstone. Teams will be seeking redemption, and drivers will be eager for glory on home soil.